The Indian Panorama

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  • The Urgent Need for a Ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas Conflict: A Call for Humanity and Justice

    Prof. Indrajit S. Saluja

    In the midst of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, one thing becomes abundantly clear: the urgent necessity for a ceasefire. The relentless cycle of violence, fueled by political agendas and power struggles, has resulted in an appalling loss of human life and untold suffering for innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. As the world watches in horror, it is imperative that we raise our voices and demand an immediate end to this senseless bloodshed.

    It is deeply regrettable that, when it comes to taking a principled stance on this issue, the United States, a nation founded on the ideals of justice and freedom, has faltered. Our lawmakers, entrusted with representing the interests of the American people, have failed in their duty to uphold these core values. Instead of prioritizing humanitarian concerns and advocating for peace, many have chosen to blindly support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, turning a blind eye to the suffering of the Palestinian people.

    While President Joe Biden has shown a willingness to challenge Netanyahu’s policies and push for a ceasefire, he faces staunch opposition from a faction of pro-Netanyahu and pro-Israel congressmen. In their unwavering loyalty to a foreign leader, they have forgotten the fundamental principles upon which America was built. Human dignity, freedom, and justice are not mere slogans but the bedrock of our society. It is incumbent upon our elected representatives to uphold these principles, even in the face of political pressure and allegiance to foreign powers.

    The call for a ceasefire is not merely a moral imperative; it is a matter of life and death for thousands of innocent civilians trapped in the conflict zone. The recent resolution passed by the United Nations Security Council, calling for a cessation of hostilities during the holy month of Ramadan, underscores the global consensus on the need for peace. It is disheartening that the United States, the world’s leading superpower, chose to abstain from this resolution, signaling a failure of leadership and a disregard for the suffering of those affected by the violence.

    At the heart of this conflict lies the stubborn refusal of one man, Benjamin Netanyahu, to heed the calls for peace. As rockets rain down on civilian populations and the death toll continues to climb, Netanyahu clings to power at any cost, disregarding the wishes of both the Israeli people and the international community. His actions betray the very essence of democracy, transforming Israel into a de facto dictatorship where dissent is silenced and human rights are trampled upon.

    Those who continue to support Netanyahu and his policies must be held accountable for their complicity in the atrocities committed in the name of security. By turning a blind eye to the suffering of the Palestinian people, they become accomplices in the murder of democracy and the perpetuation of injustice. It is time for them to remember their allegiance not only to a foreign leader but also to the principles of justice and humanity that define America’s identity.

    To the congressmen who oppose President Biden’s efforts to address the root causes of this conflict, we say this: history will judge you harshly for your failure to stand on the right side of justice. The American people demand accountability from their elected representatives, and we will not forget those who prioritize political expediency over human life.

    In solidarity with the countless victims of this senseless violence, we urge all right-thinking individuals to support President Biden in his quest for peace. Let us raise our voices and demand an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Let us remind the world that America stands for human dignity, freedom, and justice for all.

     

    It is time to bring an end to the carnage and usher in a new era of hope and reconciliation in the Middle East. The lives of countless innocent civilians depend on it, and history will remember our actions—or lack thereof—in this critical moment.

     

  • National Commission for Women meet recommends helpline for abandoned wives of NRIs

    National Commission for Women meet recommends helpline for abandoned wives of NRIs

    NEW DELHI (TIP): A national helpline for women deserted in Non-Resident Indian (NRI) marriages and the need for a dedicated fund to provide assistance to them are among the recommendations made at a consultation on Wednesday, June 1, organized by the National Commission for Women (NCW) on ensuring access to justice to such women. Among issues discussed was ways to serve non-bailable warrant against male offender residing abroad.

    The NCW invited experts from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, women victims, State police departments, NGOs, Indian missions in Australia and Canada, among others. The consultation was held on two broad topics — identifying problems faced by Indian women married to Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and NRIs, and challenges faced by deserted wives in the legal system in India and abroad. “The meeting took up issues such as ways to serve a non-bailable warrant against a male offender residing abroad who has abandoned his wife. Often, these men keep changing their address and it gets challenging to track them. So, we have suggested that a special website be set up, so that summons posted there are deemed as served on a person. Another way to track them would be through their Social Security Number,” ex-Chairman, Punjab State Commission for NRIs, Justice (Retd) Rakesh Kumar Garg told The Hindu.

    Other matters discussed were ex-parte judgments on divorce obtained by husbands abroad, which are already addressed under Section 13 of the Civil Procedure Code that deals with conditions under which foreign judgments are not conclusive, said Mr. Garg.

    Instances of child custody disputes were also raised. “For such matters, when a habeas corpus writ is brought to India for producing a child before a foreign court, Indian courts have often held that both parents are natural guardians under Indian laws and, in fact, mother is the guardian of a child under five years. We are also not signatories to the Hague convention, so we don’t have to return the child.”

    The consultation did not, however, discuss whether India should sign the Hague Convention, which requires that if a parent has run away with a child from one country to another due to a marital dispute, the child has to be returned to the country from where he or she has been removed. The Indian government maintains that it is not ready to sign the treaty. Another person who attended the meeting said on condition of anonymity that ways to ensure maintenance for such wives, legal assistance, and financial support through a dedicated fund were also raised.

    Many of the suggestions made are not new. They were part of the report of an expert committee formed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and headed by Justice Arvind Kumar Goel, ex-Chairperson, NRI Commission, Punjab, submitted in August 2017. On the basis of these suggestions, a meeting chaired by the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in November 2017 took a decision to ensure compulsory registration of NRI marriages and set up a website of MEA for posting summons.

    Following this, in February 2019, the Ministry of External Affairs introduced the Registration of Marriage of Non-Resident Indian Bill, 2019, in Rajya Sabha. The Bill was sent to a Parliamentary Standing Committee, which approved it with some recommendations. But after the passing of Sushma Swaraj in August 2019, the Bill has been put in cold storage.
    (Source: The Hindu)

  • Facebook sees 82 per cent jump in hate speech; violent content rises 86 per cent on Instagram in April

    Facebook sees 82 per cent jump in hate speech; violent content rises 86 per cent on Instagram in April

    NEW YORK (TIP): There has been a rise of around 82 per cent in hate speech on social media platform Facebook and 86 per cent jump in violent and inciting content on Instagram, according to a monthly report released by Meta.
    The majority of the content in the report is based on detection by social media platforms before users reporting to them.
    According to the report released on May 31, Facebook detected 53,200 hate speech in April, which is 82 per cent higher compared to 38,600 detected in March, on which the platform took action.
    The report showed that Instagram acted on 77,000 violence and incitement related content in April compared to 41,300 in March. “We measure the number of pieces of content (such as posts, photos, videos or comments) we take action on for going against our standards. This metric shows the scale of our enforcement activity. Taking action could include removing a piece of content from Facebook or Instagram or covering photos or videos that may be disturbing to some audiences with a warning,” the report said.

  • UN: Record 193 million went without enough food last year

    UN: Record 193 million went without enough food last year

    The figures appeared in the Global Report on Food Crisis

    ROME / NEW YORK (TIP)): The United Nations (UN) said on Wednesday, May 4,  that the number of people without enough to eat on a daily basis reached all-time high last year and is poised to hit “appalling” new levels as the Ukraine war affects global food production. Almost 193 million people in 53 countries suffered acute food insecurity in 2021 due to what the UN said was a “toxic triple combination” of conflict, weather extremes and the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

    The UN said the total number of people without adequate food every day increased by 40 million last year, confirming a “worrisome trend” of annual increases over several years.

    The figures appeared in the Global Report on Food Crisis, which is produced jointly by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, the World Food Programme and the European Union. The report forecasts that Somalia will face one of the world’s worst food crises in 2022 due to prolonged drought, increasing food prices and persistent violence. The various factors could lead six million Somalis into acute food crisis, the UN said.

    “Today, if more is not done to support rural communities, the scale of the devastation in terms of hunger and lost livelihoods will be appalling,” the UN said. “Urgent humanitarian action is needed on a massive scale to prevent that from happening.” The war in Ukraine poses further risks for Somalia and many other African countries that reply on Ukraine and Russia for wheat, fertilizer and other food supplies.